| Date | May 2022 | Marks available | 9 | Reference code | 22M.1.BP.TZ0.8 |
| Level | Both SL and HL | Paper | Paper 1 - first exams 2017 | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | To what extent | Question number | 8 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
Source E Max von Habsburg, an historian, writing in the school textbook Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598 (2015).
The Iberian Peninsula lacked both political unity and a uniform system of government and there was not even a willingness, let alone any attempt, to centralize the governmental systems. In fact, “Spain” was no more than a geographical expression and the term was not used at the time. Setting aside Portugal, which remained a separate kingdom, the provinces of Castile and Aragon were dominant in political and economic terms and were also recognized as independent kingdoms. They contained over 75 % of the Iberian Peninsula’s population. The Castilian monarchy held greater political power than its counterpart in Aragon. Yet in the second half of the 15th century, both provinces were weakened by civil wars. Motivated by a disputed succession [to the thrones], powerful nobles challenged the authority of Henry IV of Castile and John II of Aragon respectively … The marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella did not result in an immediate end to civil war and rivalries between the nobles, leaving the Iberian Peninsula very unstable. The power of the nobles was so strong that they tried to fill the vacuum created by political problems and to control decisions made by the king. The nobility were powerful but remained divided.
[Source: Max von Habsburg Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598 A/AS Level History for AQA Student Book,
© Cambridge University Press 2015. Reproduced with permission of The Licensor through PLSclear.]
Source F A map of the kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula up to 1492.
[Source: Iberia in 1492. Map of the Iberian Peninsula, 1270–1492, showing the kingdoms of Portugal, Castile, Navarre, Granada, Aragon, and Majorca. Available at: https://www.ncpedia.org/media/map/iberia-1492 [Accessed 03 March 2021]. Source adapted.]
Source G Mosen Diego de Valera, warrior, poet and writer in his Compiled Letters. Extract of Letter XXI [21] to the Catholic Monarchs (c1485).
It’s God’s hand that will give you victory because the Moors are so confident and arrogant about their past that they will risk everything. Please remember, my King, that this is a holy and necessary war. The enemies of our holy faith may be weakened and the land that they have seized may be taken. Where God is now currently condemned, blasphemed and despised; he may once again be praised, adored, and loved. Bear this in mind and keep on fighting as our former glorious kings did in long sieges and terrible battles. But do not believe, my Lord, that these battles can wait much longer. The Moors can survive on little bread, and find ways to grow some crops. [Furthermore] you cannot fully control the seas and it could very well be that Moors from across the sea, feeling for the suffering of their fellow believers in the peninsula, will come to their aid. You must be wise and prepared as a good knight would be.
[Source: Epístolas y otros varios tratados de Mosen Diego de Valera. c1485. National Library of Spain, from a printed
copy in Madrid, 1878. Available at: http://bdh-rd.bne.es/viewer.vm?lang=es&id=0000092867&page=1 [Accessed 09
March 2021]. Translated from Spanish by IBO, 2021.]
Using the sources and your own knowledge, to what extent do you agree that the unification of the Iberian Peninsula was politically motivated?
Markscheme
Apply the markbands that provide the “best fit” to the responses given by candidates and award credit wherever it is possible to do so. The following material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. It is neither prescriptive nor exhaustive and no set answer is required. While it is expected that there will be coverage of at least two of the sources, candidates are not required to refer to all four sources in their responses.
Indicative content
Source E The peninsula lacked political unity. There were independent kingdoms and the problems among nobles made the political situation unstable. The provinces of Castile and Aragon were dominant in political and economic terms, which may suggest why they took the lead in the unification process.
Source F Shows the political divisions of the Iberian Peninsula, emphasizing the territorial significance of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon. It also suggests the weaker political position of Granada, surrounded by enemies.
Source G Contemporaries of the Catholic monarchs were supportive of political unification and an expansion over the Moors’ territories. However, it also emphasizes the crucial role that religious reasons were to have in this process.
Own knowledge Candidates may support the statement by referring to the competition among Christian kingdoms that led to the conquest of new lands. Candidates may also consider the internal political struggles affecting the kingdom of Granada and the problems connected to the succession to the throne, and how the vassalage to Castile had weakened its economy. Candidates may challenge the question by referring to the extent to which the struggle was inspired by a “crusade spirit” since a great stimulus to the offensive was given by the Church and the papacy. Candidates may state that Pope Eugenius IV (1431–1447) strongly encouraged the Castilian crusade, granting it the usual indulgence and forbidding all sale of foodstuffs and strategic materials to the Moors. Candidates may also consider the possibility of gaining access to the Mediterranean and controlling the Straits of Gibraltar. It could also be argued that the conquest had clear economic motives, such as the need for fertile lands and livestock, and the greed for plunder.
Examiners report
Many candidates provided a focused and developed response to the final question. It was pleasing to find that most candidates demonstrated a sound understanding of the question and attempted to refer to source content in their analysis. There were some excellent essay-style responses which, for example, discussed the reasons for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, discussed the view that Ibrahim Rugova's methods contributed to the origins of the war in Kosovo or evaluated the significance of Nelson Mandela to the struggle against apartheid up to 1964. However, as noted above, some responses to the final question were too brief or clearly incomplete apparently due to the candidate not reserving sufficient time for the final question. Although well informed, others were excessively descriptive in nature, requiring the examiner to infer the relevance of such information to the set question. Most candidates referred to at least one source, but many did not include relevant knowledge. A sizeable minority tended to list the content of each source with a general point addressing the question at the end. On the other hand, there were candidates who did not refer to the sources at all in their response.
Candidates should be reminded that for the top markband responses must maintain focus on the set question and clearly reference and use the sources as evidence to support the analysis. In addition, for the final question there must be synthesis of accurate and relevant own knowledge.
